Sink-top construction



Aug. 18, 1942- w. J. WEISSERT 2,293,134v

I SINK-TOP CONSTRUCTION- J Filed June 4, i941 INVENTOR 1 1 1 I 1 v 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 v 1 1 end edges.

Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNITED I STATE SINK-TOP CONSTRUCTION Walter J.Weissert, Carnegie, Pa., assignor to The Tracy Manufacturing Company, acorporation of Pennsylvania Application June 4, 1941, Serial No.396,48}!

7 Claims.

This invention relates to sink-top construction and particularly tosink-top constructions in which the drainboard and splashboard of thestructure are covered with a facing of linoleum or analogousshock-absorbent material.

In sink-tops, and other articles of furniture which may be considered tobe of analogous sort, substantial advantage is obtained from aconstruction in which a base of metal, plywood, plastic composition orthe like, is covered with a racing of some material of the sort whichmay be considered generically to respond to the designation linoleum.Such material, and this is particularly true of the material in itshigher grades, is dense and non-absorbent of moisture, but does haveshock-absorbent properties and thus serves greatly to decrease thebreakage of china, glassware, and the like frangible articles which arehandled on its surface: Sink tops covered with a linoleum facing arealso sightly when properly organized, regardless of the material of thebase by which the facing is carried.

I Sink-tops are commonly made with a splashboard'rising from therearward edge of the drainboard, and sometimes also from one or both itsIn making sink-tops of adequately rigid but comparatively deformablematerial, such as sheet metal, a single piece or sheet of a the basematerial may be bent along one or more lines to provide a splashboardrising from one 9. more edges of the drainboard. It is desirablethatthere be applied to such single piece base structure a single piecelinoleum covering; thus avoiding the manufacturing difiicultiesattendant upon binding the adjacent edges of two separate pieces orsheets of linoleum carried respectively by the drainboard proper and thesplashboard, and increasing the water-tightness and pleasing appearanceof the sink-top construction as a whole. Diiiiculty has arisen from thefact that linoleum cannot by itself be sharply bent without cracking orcrazing the material. Even when linoleum has been applied in advance toa metal I stantial thickness, 9. layer of plastic material, and

a printed coat of paint or enamel. The higher grades of linoleum whichare acceptable as sink or table tops, protective mats and pads fortables and floors, and in all associations in which a' high-grade denseand wear-resistant material is requisite or the higher cost of suchmaterial is justified, are differently composed. In accordance with themethod usually followed in their manufacture, a very thin tough fabric,such as burlap is used as a backing on which the linoleum substance ofgeled oil, pigment and the like, is built up and rolled. Such linoleumscontain their coloring pigment in admixture with the binder ingredientsof the linoleum substance, and the, finishedlino'leum is in effectcomposed wholly of that substance. Such linoleums, while beingshock-absorbent, are also dense, water-resistant and wear-resistantmaterials. Herein I shall term such linoleums, arbitrarily but on thebasis of their above-noted properties and uses as furniture" linoleums.i

It is the object of my invention to provide a sink-top construction, andin this connection I use the work sink" as a term of general descriptionand not of limitation, in which the material of the sink-top iscomposite of a one-piece metal base and a one-piece linoleum facingcemented on the metal base, the composite structure being bent upon aradius so short that the effect is pleasing in appearance, gives maximumuseable area of the drainboard surface, and is acceptable structurally.a

A more specific object of'my invention is to obtain this eflect in theuseof those linoleums which are composed throughout their thickness ofa. single substance which in the finished linoleum is a dense,wear-resistant, and shock-absorbent body.

4 In the manufacture of sink-tops composite of base and bent with it,such composite structure 4 has not previously beenbent upon a radius asshort as is acceptable in sink-top construction.

Whereas the generic term linoleum includes a great number of productsthe components and organization of which differ substantially one fromthe other, there is a broad classification of linoleum into twodifferent grades, or kinds, which is of moment in the manufacture ofsink-tops, and analogous structures. The cheaper grades of linoleumwhich are. frequently used as floor and wall coverings include a feltbacking of subametal base and a facingof furniture linoleum, it has beennecessary to solve several problems, and to reconcile apparentlyinconsistent conditions in successfully bending the linoleum on an,acceptably short radius to give a drainboard and splashboard composed ofa single piece of the metal-linoleum composite material.- 'A descriptionof materials and procedure by which I have accomplished the desired end,and illustration of exemplary procedure and an exemplary product inwhich my invention finds embodiment are given in the following writtendescription, and in the accompanying drawing; In thisdrawing:

Fig. I is a fragmentary isometric view of a- 55 sink-top showing adrainboard equipped with a rear splashboard, or splashback," and with anend splashboard; the sink-top shown consisting of a drainboard, rearsplashboard, and end splashboard formed by bending an initially flatsheet composite of a sheet metal base and a linoleum facing, andequipped with a basin and with edge binding.

Fig. II is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken throughthe composite sheet of which the sink-top construction is primarilycomposed,

and through bending dies, showing the sheet organized and positioned forbending.

Fig. III is a similar view, showing the sheet and the bending dies atthe end of the bending operation.

tween the female die and male die 8 of a brakepress, in such positionthat the line of demarka- 'tion between the portion of the sheet whichis to form the drainboard and the portion of the sheet which is to formthe splashboard is indi- Fig. IV is a fragmentary horizontal sectionalview taken at a corner of the sink-top through the rear splashboard andend splashboard of the sink-top.

Fig. V is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken at the same cornerofthe sink-top through the drainboard and both splashboards of thestructure.

In pursuance of my invention I take a flat sheet of metal which may beany suitable metal and of any suitable thickness, but which is typicallycommon sheet steel or black-iron of from 16 gauge to 20 gauge. A sheetof furniture linoleum is laid fiat with its base of burlap or othersuitable thin fabric uppermost. The surface of the linoleum which is tobe presented to view in the assembly is desirably protected by beinglaid upon paper, cloth, or the like, and its backed surface is coatedwith elastic cement, or more properly an elastic pressure sensitiveadhesive of some well known sort; The metal sheet is then placed uponthe coated surface of the linoleum and pressure is applied upon it for asuflicient length of time to establish a good bond between the linoleumand the metal. I have found that such bond is adequately effected infrom twelve to twenty-four hours to give a composite piecein which thelinoleum facing is firmly but bend is to be made, the linoleum facingstops short of the edge of the metal base, and the edge of the metalbase is provided with a rim or bead standing up from the body of themetal base in spaced relation to the edge of the linoleum facing. Thisrim or bead conveniently may be provided by a shallow upturned flange 5,formed from the metal of the base. As appears clearly in Fig. II of thedrawing, the interval 4 between this rim 5 and the adjacent edge 6 ofthe linoleum facing is substantial, and I have found it desirable inpractice tov make the width of this interval 4 substantially equal tothe thickness of the linoleum. Like the sheet metal base, the linoleumfacing may be of any suitable thickness,

'and is usually from to 1 5' inch thick, being most commonly about 4;inch in thickness.

The bending operation is then performed desirably by theinstrumentalities and in the manner shown in Figs. II and III of thedrawing. For this bending operation the sheet is placed becated by theaxial line between the dies. As shown, the width of the portions sodefined is unequal, the portion Ia which is to form the splashboardbeing narrower than the portion lb which is to form the drainboard. Itis' the narrower splashboard portion which is equipped at its edge withthe rim 5, and in which there is the interval 4 between the edge of thefacing and the rim. As shown in these figures of the drawing, female dieI of the brake-press is a Y-shape member which it is to be understoodextends throughout the length of the sheet which is to be bent, the legsof the Y diverging from each other at a suitable angle, such as a angle.The male die is in the form of a bar of circular cross-section, whichalso extends the length of the sheet in which the bend is to be made.The diameter of the male die 8 determines the radius-of the bend whichisto be formed in the sheet. That is, if the sheet is to be bent upon ahalf inch radius, the male die is a bar of circular section having adiameter of one inch.

In the bending operation, relative movement between the male and femaledie toward each other is caused, thereby exertinga bending pressure onthe composite sheet along a well-defined line and upon a very shortradius. During the bending, the substance of the linoleum itself flowsor stretches sufliciently to make accommodation to the change ofdirection without cracking or otherwise injuring the linoleum. This flowor stretching takes place toward the narrower portion of the compositesheet, which is to form the splashboard, and .is permitted by theelastic engagement between the linoleum facing and the sheet metal base,since the linoleum being of the furniture grade is dense and coherentthroughout its entire structure and its thin fabric back yields only asan integral part of the facing body in the bending operation. In thebending, the edge of the composite sheet which extends parallel to theline of bend along the wider portion of the sheet remains in its initialcondition with the edges of the base and The creep.

the facing in line with each other. being toward the edge of thenarrower portion of the composite sheet, the linoleum facing stretchestoward the rim 5, which serves as a stop when the edge 6 of the linoleumreaches'it in the concluding stage of the bending operation, Y A theorywhich may account for the successful,

bending of the composite sheet without cracking the linoleum or breakingit away from the metal base is that, as above noted, there is a bodilycreeping or stretching of the linoleum body,-this stretch being towardthe edges of the narrower portion of the composite sheet. The elasticbond between the linoleum facing and the metal base partakes in the.elongation, and this permits stretching of the linoleum without breakingit loose from the base. At the end of the bending operation, contact ofthe edge of the linoleum facing with the rim of the base toward which itcreeps tends to push the facing back into the curvature of the base. Theinterval 4 allows bodily creeping or stretching of the linoleum withoutpressure against the rim 5 throughout the major portion of the bendingoperation. I have found it impossible successfully to perform thebending operation without leaving such inthe elongation naturally takesplace were initially to abut-the rim, the pressure of the linoleumagainst the rim would deform the rim, and break the linoleum loose in amarginal region adjacent its edge. If a rigidly setting cement is usedto 7 bond the linoleum'i'acingto the base, the rigidity of such bondcauses either the linoleumitself to be cracked, or causes it to bebroken away from the base when the bending is attempted.

It has been noted that the elastic cement which I use is of well knownsort, though not of the sort commonly'employed incementing down linoleumfacings. A few of the many formulae which might be employed for theelastic cement may be given as follows:

There are many elastic cements, including rubber, resin and plasticizer,commercially sold under various trade names, any of which maysatisfactorily be used as the elastic cementln making sink-tops inaccordance with my invention. While the angle formed by the drainboardwith Formula A Parts Rubber crepe or smoked sheets 10 Coumarone resin 2Zinc oxide /2 Formula B Parts Crepe rubber 200 Coumaro'ne resin .85 Woodrosin 10 Paraffin oil 5 Formula C i Parts Crepe rubber 50 Ester gum 18.5Methyl abietate 17.5 Amorphouswax-' 13.5 Hydroquinone .5

the splashboard or splashboards of the sink-top may be varied, a 90angle is the one most commonly used. I can bend a composite sheet,including a metal base and a linoleum facing, at a 90 angle on a radiusof less than one inch. A one-half inch radius represents my standardpractice, but I have been able to bend the composite sheets on smaller.radii. It will have been noted that in the above description thesplashboard is made of less width than the drainboard to stand up fromthe drainboard a height less than the drainboard width. If for use asthe primary element of a sinktop or for other purpose, the compositesheet is bent intermediate its width, it should be understood that bothedges of the composite sheet parallel .to the line of bend should beequipped with rims positioned to serve as stops and that both edges ofthe linoleum facing should be spaced to leave an interval between theedge of the linoleum and the rim on the base. In the event of suchcentrally disposed bend being made, there is creep in both directionsfrom the line of bend, and this is also the case if there be but slightdifference between the width from the axial line of the bending dies.

Figs. 1, IV and V of the drawing show a sin construction involving theintegral drainboard and splashboard above described.. In these fl8-.

' of .the two portions of the sheetin their extent i3 is applied to theedges of the drainboard and the splashboards. Two splashboards beingpro- .vided in the sink-top construction shown, itmay be explained thatthese are formed by two individual and successive bending operations, a

square piece being cut out at the corner of the" composite sheet priorto the bending. Otherwise the operation is as above described. It willbe readily understood that if the sink-top has but a single splashboard,mitered pieces of edge binding may be used at the comers to form theedging for the integral primary. structure. In the construction shown,there is necessarily a joint between the linoleum facing of the rearsplashboard Ill and the linoleum facing of the end splashboard I I. Thisjoint may be sealed by luting or binding it with any suitable cement,caulk-.

"ginally along the inwardly presented surfaces of the facing on'the twosplashboards. A downwardly and outwardly curved foot I! at the base ofthe wings it conforms to the change of direction between the horizontaldrainboard and the vertical splashboards. angle member I8 is applied tocover the joint outwardly of thestructure. A luting I5 of suitablecaulking compound fills all the spaces at the joint between the trim andthe other elements of the structure.

An advantage of the above-described binding element is that it may beslipped into place after the splashboards have been bent upwardly fromthe drainboard, so thatits application involves no cutting ordeformation of the splashboard structures. Desirably the edging l3 andthe corner trim are made of aluminum, stainless steel, Monel metal, orother metal of continuingly attractive appearance. If desired, however,they may be made of plastic composition or other suitable material whichmay be readily shaped to the desired form.

While my invention in bending a sheet composite of a metal base and afacing of furniture linoleum on a small radius to provide at least twoportions extending at a substantial angle from each other has beendescribed as applied specifically to sink-top construction, it is to beunderstood that the word sink-top is used as descriptive of thecurrently most important embodiment of my invention and is not to beconsidered as a term of limitation. Various other articles of furniture,such as work tops,

work benches, desks, counters, consoles, game boards, and the like, inwhich it is of importance that the linoleum facing be of high-gradefurniture linoleum andthat the radius of bend between a basal portionand one or more upstanding portions of the structure be short, may bemade in accordance with my invention and come within its purview.

Since my invention finds its embodiment in 1 many variant structures,the scope of the invention is to be restricted only by expressions oflimitation contained in the definition of the appended claims.

Desirably a light I claim:

1. The herein described method of producing a composite sheet structurehaving portions di verging from each other at a substantial angle on abend of short radius by elastically cementing a facing of linoleum ofthe kind which includes a thin, tough, fabric backing on a metal' basehaving on an edge thereof a'rim while providing a space between the saidrim and the adjacent edge of the said linoleum facing, and bending thecomposite sheet by exerting bending pressure thereon along a narrow zoneof less than one inch parallel to the rim on the base with flow of thelinoleum facing toward the said rim.

2. The herein described method of producing a composite sheet structurehaving portions thereof diverging from each other at a substantial angleon a bend of short radius by'elastically cementing a facing of linoleumof the kind which includes a thin, tough, fabric backing on a metal basehaving on an edge thereof a rim while providing a space between the saidrim and the adjacent edge of the said linoleum facing, and bending thecomposite sheet into two portions of unequal width with the narrower ofthe two said portions extending between the m on the base and the lineof bend by exerting bending pressure along a narrow zone parallel to thesaid rim with flow of the linoleum facing toward the said rim.

3. The herein described method of producing a composite sheet structurehaving portions thereof diverging from each other at a substantial angleon a bend of short radius by elastically cementing a facing of linoleumof the kind which includes a thin, tough, fabric backing on a metal basehaving on an edge thereof a rim while providing a space between the saidrim and the adjacent edge of the said linoleum facing, and bending thecomposite sheet into two portions of unequal width with the narrower ofthe two said portions extending between the rim on the base proximatelyequal width diverging from each other at a substantial angle on a bendof short radius by elastically cementing a facing of linoleum of thekind which includes a thin, tough,

fabric backing on a metal base having rims "on opposite edges thereofwhile providing a space between both of said rims and the adjacent edgesof the linoleum facing, and bending the composite sheet by exertingbending pressure thereon along a narrow zone parallel to both the saidrims and approximately midway between them with flow of the linoleumfacing toward the said rims.

5. The herein described method of producinga composite sheet structurehaving portions of approximately equal width diverging from each otherat a substantial angle on' a bend of short radius by elasticallycementing a facing oflinoleum of the kind which includes a thin, tough,fabric backing on a metal base having rims on opposite edges thereofwhile providing a space between both of said rims and the adjacent edgesof the linoleum facing, and bending the composite sheet by exertingbending pressure thereon along a narrow zone of less than one inchparallel to both the said rims and approximately midway between themwith fiow of the linoleum facing toward the said rims.

6, The herein described method of producing a composite sheet structurehaving portions thereof diverging from each other at a substantial angleon a bend of short radius .by elastically verging from each other at asubstantial angle on a bend of short radius by elastically cementing afacing of linoleum of the kind which includes a thin, tough, fabricbacking on a metal base having on an 'edge thereof a rim while providinga space between the said rim and the adjacent edge of the said linoleumfacing, and bending the composite sheet by exerting bending pressure indirections approximately normal to the surface of the sheetsimultaneously throughout a narrow zone of less than one inch parallelto the rim on the basewith fiow of the linoleum facing toward the saidrim.

V WALTER J. WEISSERT.

